"The United States is entering its sixth year of extraordinarily high unemployment. Twelve million Americans who want work cannot find it. Millions more have quit searching. Slack labor markets have depressed wages throughout the economy."

"Yet however little workers earn, there is always somebody who wishes they earned even less. And for those somebodies, the solution is: Import more cheap labor. But not just any cheap labor -- cheap labor that cannot quit, that cannot accept a better offer, that cannot complain."

"You might wonder: Are there really no Americans who could do these jobs? The unemployment rate for Alaskans 16-24 years old was over 15% in 2011. Mightn't they want the work? Yes, they might. But the wage for lawful American labor in the seafood-processing industry averages over $10 an hour. Employers can cut their wage costs by almost 25% by using J-1 labor instead, according to one union-backed think tank."

"Immigration advocates insist that this huge surge of cheap labor has nothing to do with the persistent decline in wages that began about the same time. If so, that's one hell of a coincidence. With President Obama proposing accelerated flows of immigration in future, American workers should ready themselves for more coincidences ahead."

-- What this means is that legal and illegal immigrants are lowering the overall wage for Americans, are lowering the living standards, are forcing Americans into poverty, are causing the demise of America's tax structure and infrastructure since temporary workers don't contribute much to it and are destroying the American dream. Democrat and Republican leaders are ganging up on the unemployed to bring in more legal immigrants and give amnesty to illegal immigrants. 12 million Americans should be offered jobs before giving those jobs to non-Americans who would work for 25% less than it is legal to pay American citizens. Who is standing up for the rights of unemployed Americans?

I marched with Chavez and Huerta back in the day. We were marching because we KNEW that "undocumented workers" would lower the wages of Americans. Our opposition stemmed from our belief that they undermined U.S. workers and exploited the "migrant" workers. The growers used the "undocumented" workers as strike-breakers to keep UFW and wages in line.Unfortunately, history has been re-written to make Chavez the "God of Illegal Immigrants"...

Some guy wrote a book recently about employers who claim that they can't find enough skilled workers for certain positions. What these employers are really trying to say, however, is that they can't find enough skilled workers who are willing to take the low wages being offered.

So when you see a job posted with a laundry list of skill and experience requirements yet barely pays above minimum wage, the employer is planning to tell the government that they can't find qualified Americans so they can get approved to offer visas to bring in immigrants who are willing to do the work at those low wages.

It's open season on the American worker. Employers take aim and fire who they can.American workers are sitting ducks with targets on their backs.An employer shoots down one American and 4 immigrants pop up who will work for 25% less than it is legal to pay an American citizen.Employers advertise for workers with previous experience, vast talent and expertise and then won't hire an American because they can get the government to let them import immigrants and temporary workers who will work for less, endure harsh conditions, and not complain.Then employers find a way to ship all of their work out of the United States so that they can maximize profits and minimize labor costs.It's only a matter of time.Don't worry too much, it will happen to you.

Every time I watch the news, and these so-called experts get on and say lies like, "Oh, companies want to hire, but they can't find people with the skillset they are looking for", I want to put my foot through the TV!

I've been on too many jobs where, after I'm hired I would ask a co-worker or superviser for documentation on a particular skillset they were looking for, the response would be something like, "Oh, we don't use that here (or we stopped using that here). We always list that in all our job posts though".

That's why when, during an interview, if they would ask if I had a particular skill, and I would say "No sorry, I do not", the interviewer would say something like, "That's OK...not a big deal". And I would get hired anyway! This of course was when the unemployment rate was a whopping 4%!

You ask why wages are so low? You ask why American students can't find jobs? Even the students, who came to work in the U.S. as part of a three-month visitor work program protest the working conditions they are subjected to as well as the low pay and domestic arrangements. Our government is allowing American employers to use foreign nationals as slave labor and you wonder why the only jobs available don't pay enough to live on? Our government is at war with the unemployed and is doing all it can to bring in students and legal immigrants to undercut the American worker. On top of that there is an amnesty proposal that will make millions of illegal immigrants into the holders of jobs that Americans can't afford to do because of legal standards. "According the State Department, there are 46 other sponsors like Geovisions. All sponsors are responsible for working out living conditions, hours and wages with employers." It's a McMeatMarket out there and the unemployed are getting ground into hamburger. This is no time to be handing out jobs to foreigners just because they will work for less. Our government is at war with the unemployed. Temporary work programs that employ foreign students are not the way to get Americans back to work.

"Roughly 15 students protested outside of the Harrisburg McDonald's last week, and about 10 came to New York City Thursday to demonstrate outside a McDonald's restaurant in Times Square." At least those foreign students have the guts to protest. Maybe we can learn something from them.

That's because they know they can get away with it here in this country. Where they come from, they'd probably be shot on sight if they tried that there. They can't get enough of the freedom here that many of us take for granted, and that's despite the fact that since 911, much of it has been gradually taken away.

"A bipartisan group of eight senators is considering a plan that would double the number of visas available to highly skilled foreign workers, as well as sharply increase the number of green cards available to foreign students who graduate from an American university with a degree in science, technology, engineering or math, two people familiar with the negotiations said... but

Mr. Durbin (Senator Richard J. Durbin, Democrat of Illinois) opposes increasing the cap on H-1B visas without offering worker and job protections; he believes that the program, which was created to bring highly skilled workers to the United States, is now being used for outsourcing, and does not offer enough protections for American workers...

“I understand people’s frustration, people have waited a long time, but we are real close for the first time of coming up with a bipartisan agreement that has a darn good chance of becoming law,” Senator Charles E. Schumer, Democrat of New York said after more than a dozen immigration activists staged a protest in his office, demanding immediate action on immigration legislation.

When was the last time you heard of unemployed Americans staging a protest in a Senator's office and getting legislation passed in their favor? What is it that they say about the squeaky wheel getting the grease? Those who complain or protest the loudest attracts attention and service. The unemployed can barely raise a whimper.

"So, if you are black and unemployed, there is a good chance that you will never work again – ever. No matter what color the president is. The number of people clutching their resumes in line at job interviews is just going to get longer and longer. And if you are over 50 years old, just forget about it. In fact, move to a civilized nation, like Canada or Australia. A place that isn't trying to be the next China with a massive population and rock-bottom wages."

12 million illegal immigrants are already here and over one million legal immigrants are coming to take jobs from Americans each year. Doesn't the government realize that there is a lack of jobs and that giving what jobs there are to foreigners will make more Americans destitute?

And now they want to give them amnesty which will open the floodgates and mean even less jobs. When I was young and desperate [now disabled], I would go apply for jobs, and actually DID GET TURNED AWAY for being an American. in America. I am serious. It happens all the time. It happened to me in the early 90s.

Those folks often have the support of their community, while the poor American person moved for a crumb-bum job, and has no one. The politicians work for the megacorporations who want their slave labor. Course the people running those corporations are idiots, because if everyone are slaves whose going to buy their products?

Canada won't take you. We mulled over whether my husband could get a decent job in Canada but unless you are a computer genius or a millionaire. Canada is CLOSED. Oh and if one member of the household is disabled, they don't want you either. Funny how the Mexicans can pour in, but to move to Canada you have to be a near millionaire. I know an American who married an Australian--white guy, and he was not allowed to immigrate, and the marriage broke up because they could not be together, and here we have the illegals just pouring in. We can't move to Mexico either, they'd throw you in prison right off.

USA Citizen wrote:Blaming the government in a democracy is like pointing your finger in the mirror.

This is not a democracy, its a republic. Its a myth that this country is a democracy. And with NDAA and the removal of the bill of rights and erasing of Constitutional amendments--4th amendment, this place has moved into a full blown totalitarian police state.

This country was always a republic, a representative form of democracy. When the constitution was being framed, a woman asked Ben Franklin what form of government was being established. Franklin responded, "A republic madam, if you can keep it". If the government is not kept in check, it can easily degenerate into some totalitarian form, as we're in the process of seeing now.

"Their bill ... would provide a path to citizenship for the 11 million illegal immigrants already in the country.

The agreement resolved what the pay level should be for low-skilled immigrants — often employed at hotels and restaurants or on construction projects — who could be brought in during labor shortages.

Labor groups wanted to ensure that guest workers would not be paid less than the median wage in their respective industries, and the two sides compromised by agreeing that guest workers would be paid the higher of the prevailing industry wage as determined by the Labor Department or the actual employer wage.

Under the deal, guest workers would be allowed to pursue a path to citizenship and to change jobs after they arrived in the United States.

Business groups, which had long been pushing to allow in 400,000 such guest workers each year, will get what they regard as an adequate number to meet the needs of employers."

jmainframe wrote:This country was always a republic, a representative form of democracy. When the constitution was being framed, a woman asked Ben Franklin what form of government was being established. Franklin responded, "A republic madam, if you can keep it". If the government is not kept in check, it can easily degenerate into some totalitarian form, as we're in the process of seeing now.

I agree, its degenerating into totalitarianism. People weren't vigilent enough about freedom.

"Their bill ... would provide a path to citizenship for the 11 million illegal immigrants already in the country.

The agreement resolved what the pay level should be for low-skilled immigrants — often employed at hotels and restaurants or on construction projects — who could be brought in during labor shortages.

Labor groups wanted to ensure that guest workers would not be paid less than the median wage in their respective industries, and the two sides compromised by agreeing that guest workers would be paid the higher of the prevailing industry wage as determined by the Labor Department or the actual employer wage.

Under the deal, guest workers would be allowed to pursue a path to citizenship and to change jobs after they arrived in the United States.

Business groups, which had long been pushing to allow in 400,000 such guest workers each year, will get what they regard as an adequate number to meet the needs of employers."

You know maybe there'd be a little fairness if Americans could go somewhere and get jobs and better wages, but the door is shut on our faces everywhere unless you are a multimillionaire or a rocket scientist. This is very sad and wrong and tells me they do not care what happens to fellow Americans.

Stories like this infuriate me, but at the same time I'm not entirely surprised either. We as a nation have lost out way in many ways. I don't blame the average "Joe" US. I blame horrible policies that continue to allow this to happen!

_________________Thanks to all members for participating in the discussions.

As a general rule, blaming others for anything is usually wrong. If they are "ILLEGAL" imigrants then the fault is with the boss's who hire them.

If they are "LEGAL" immigrants then there is a possibilty that they are in a high tech field that could develop into more jobs then are displaced,that being the case, those jobs HAVE to be kept here and not outsourced.

One has to wonder what kind of situation people are fleeing, could it be a war-torn country?

In the case of Mexico, the "war on drugs" seems to have at least contributed to the crappy life in that country. We in the US have a "black" branch of government policy that uses drug trafficing for finance at least in part. Foriegn policy that supports one thing with a contradictory domestic policy..

That would be like our "democracy at the barrel of a gun" policy in some parts of the world

I have a natural knee-jerk reaction when it comes to blaming ANY other group of poor people/workers/citizens for the plight of another group...

As a certain political party insists, poor people rarely create jobs/hire people or make inportant economic desisions.....How can I blame anybody for wanting a job??